1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a toner.
2. Discussion of the Background
Development agents for use in developing latent electrostatic images produced in electrophotography, electrostatic recording, electrostatic printing, etc., are, for example, temporarily attached to a latent electrostatic image bearing member on which a latent electrostatic image is formed, and then transferred from the latent electrostatic image bearing member to a transfer medium followed by fixing.
Two-component development agents containing a carrier and a toner, and single-component development agents (magnetic toner, non-magnetic toner) without requiring a carrier are known as such development agents.
Such a toner can be manufactured by, for example, a pulverization method. However, the pulverization method has a problem with regard to inconsistency or variation in the toner form, and wide particle diameter distribution.
In recent years, polymerization methods such as suspension polymerization, emulsification polymerization agglomeration, solution suspension, and ester elongation polymerization, have been widely diffused.
However, the polymerization method presumes that a dispersant is used in an aqueous medium. This causes a problem in that the dispersant that degrades the charging characteristics remains on the surface of the toner and thus has an adverse impact on environment stability. In addition, a large quantity of water is required for washing away the dispersant.
Additionally, a toner can be also manufactured using a spray drying method. However, like the pulverization method, the spray drying method also has a problem with regard to inconsistency or variation of the toner form, and particle diameter distribution.
Unexamined published Japanese patent application publication No. 2003-262976 (JP-2003-262976-A) describes a toner manufacturing device having a head that discharges a fluid material and a solidification unit that solidifies and granulates the fluid material discharged from the head. The head includes a material retainer, a piezoelectric body that imparts pressure pulses to the material retained in the retainer, and a discharging unit that discharges the material by the pressure pulses.
The material retainer includes a vibration plate vibrated by the vibration of the piezoelectric body, and the vibration plate bends in conjunction with the deformation of the piezoelectric body to diminish the inner volume of the material retainer. As a result, the pressure in the material retainer instantly increases, thereby discharging the particle-like material from the discharging unit. However, such a discharging unit has a problem, in that the particle size distribution of the resultant toner broadens unacceptably if the material is discharged by a single piezoelectric body through multiple discharging units.